Broken
by Leni-H50
Summary: Loosely inspired by the previews for the finale. Steve/Catherine  Danny/Rachel and everyone else.
1. Chapter 1

Danny and Rachel snuggled on the couch in the small apartment. The blue glow of the television filled the room. Grace was laying on the floor, asleep with a crayon in her hand and a coloring book beneath her head in lieu of a pillow. It was the perfect picture of a family evening. Despite everything that had transpired recently, this was the one good thing that he had to hold onto.

'_A vampire detective? I don't know how you watch this stuff?"_ Danny asked Rachel.

"_Shh, this is the best part_." She responded "_Isn't that so romantic_?"

Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, his cell phone began to ring.

"_Maybe you should get that_". Said Rachel with her charming English accent

"_Nah, let it go to voicemail_." Replied Danny

"_What if it's important?"_ she said

"_How could it be important? I no longer have a job, and you and Grace are here. It's probably telemarketers or reporters._"

Not more than five minutes passed, when the phone rang again. Danny let it go to voicemail. The phone began to ring again.

"_Daniel, if you don't answer it. I will. Please_." Pleaded Rachel.

"_Williams._" Danny gave in and answered the phone.

"_Oh, Thank God. Danny, its Catherine. I can't find Steve anywhere. Do you know where he is? What the hell is going on?" _her voice was panicked.

"_Catherine, where are you?_" Danny responded and looked at Rachel for some guidance.

"_Danny, you gotta tell me what happened. I got here at Steve's last night. His truck is in the driveway, but he's not here. He never came home and his phone is disconnected. I went by HQ and the door is padlocked and the windows are all blown out. Is he dead? Don't lie to me, tell me the truth"._ She was hysterical.

"_Catherine, he is not dead. I assure you that he is very much alive. Can you come over? I guess I have some things that I need to explain to you."_ Danny tried to reassure her.

"_I'll be right there_." She hung up the phone and took off to head to Danny's apartment.

"_You seriously mean to tell me that no one bothered to call that poor girl and tell her what had happened?_" Rachel was shocked at how irresponsible the former Detective was.

"_We were hoping to resolve this, before she returned. There was no point in calling her in Afghanistan and get her all worried for nothing. She isn't supposed to back for months. At least that's what Steve thinks." _He tried to defend his actions, or lack thereof_._

"_So what are you going to tell her?" _Asked Rachel

"_The truth_" responded Danny "_the truth_"


	2. Chapter 2

Not more than 10 minutes had passed, when the headlights of the Steve's truck had illuminated Danny's apartment.

"_She's here_", said Rachel," _should I go_?"

"_No way, please stay here; I might need your help. Besides, Grace is asleep, don't wake her." _Danny pleaded

Danny opened the door before Catherine had a chance to knock. "_Come in_"

Catherine looked around the room and at the expressions on both Danny and Rachel's faces. Working for Naval Intelligence had taught her to read faces and they looked worried. She knew that this was going to be bad.

"_I'm sorry to bother you, I just didn't know who else to call_." She sounded desperate

"_Sit down. Can I get you a drink? Beer, wine, Vodka? You may need it."_ Danny offered

"_No thanks, just water, I am not really drinking these days. Listen, I know that you are trying to be polite and trying to break this to me gently, but if you don't tell me what the hell is going on, I'm going to go ballistic._" She was practically bouncing in her chair.

"_Ok…. Steve's in prison_." He waited for a response

"_What? Say that again_." She was in disbelief

"_Steve's in prison. For multiple counts of murder and grand theft_." He said matter of fact

"_Are you kidding me? He's a SEAL and the Governor gave you guys immunity. He wouldn't kill anyone unless it was self-defense. And grand theft? What the hell did he steal? _"she asked

"_Ten million dollars"_ Danny winced.

"_What the hell? OK, I don't understand."_ She began to go pale and her body began to weaken.

"_Catherine, are you ok?"_Rachel asked

"_I just need some water and where is the restroom? _"she asked

She slowly got up and then immediately passed out.

"_Rachel, help me, Cath just fainted_." Danny panicked

Rachel calmly got the smelling salts from the first aid kit and waved it under her nose.

Catherine opened her eyes and began to apologize.

"_I am so sorry, I can't believe I fainted. This has never happened to me before."_

"_There is no need to apologize, dear. Are you ok?" _Rachel responded with care

"_Yes, I guess it's just all the stress of the last couple of days and I am probably still trying to get used to being on land again."_

Rachel helped her up, leaned closer to her, and whispered, _"How far along are you?"_

"_Oh my God Rachel, how did you know? Please don't say anything, no one knows and I don't want anyone to know. Please." _She pleaded

"_I won't say anything, but you're going to have to eventually." _advised Rachel


	3. Chapter 3

The florescent lights flickered against the bare gray cinderblock walls. There were rows of chairs, separated by a two foot wall divider, giving the false sense of privacy. The scratched glass walls showed years of wear from countless hands trying to reach in to loved ones. Catherine sat patiently wondering how she ever came to this point in time.

The door behind the glass opened and there stood a guard leading a prisoner dressed in orange into the room. The tall figure stood hunched over. All she could hear were the clanging of shackles that were attached to both hands and legs, as the guard escorted the prisoner to a chair. What a difference from the first time she had seen him. It was 5 years ago in Coronado. There was an impromptu football game that some of the SEALS had put together. Catherine's friend Jenny was dating Nick Taylor, a friend of Steve's, and she had somehow convinced Catherine to go with her to watch. She wasn't interested in a relationship, but Steve was very persistent and actively pursued her. By the third "date" she was hooked and so was he. He made it a point to find her, wherever she was stationed, and arranged his leaves to be with her. That was the Steve that she knew. The overachiever, the tough guy, the sensitive boy who desperately wanted to be loved. She now found herself looking at a man who seemed broken. A common criminal, not a decorated naval officer.

"_Cat, what are you doing here? How did you find out? I didn't want you to know until we figured it all out"_ Steve's voice was cracked and raw.

"_I've been looking for you and Danny told me what happened_." She answered with a tone of disappointment.

"_It's good to see you. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances_" he said

"_Yeh, me too."_ She replied

"_Why are you here, in Hawaii? You didn't get in trouble because of me, did you_?" he asked. He was afraid that the publicity of his arrest would hurt her career.

"_No, not yet. I got transferred to Pearl_" she replied

"_They don't just transfer you mid tour, are you sure you're ok_? He asked

"_Yeh. Listen, I posted your bail and I'll make arrangements for Danny or someone to pick you up. It's going to take at least 48 hrs. for the funds to be transferred."_

"_You posted my bail? Cat its 2 million dollars. Apparently I'm a flight risk."_

"_Well, try not to take flight._ "She responded with a bit of sarcasm

"_You can't use your trust fund. Not for this. Stop the transfer; I'll just wait it out." _He didn't want to take advantage of her, but deep down he was glad she took the initiative.

"_Don't be silly, you can't stay in here. I am surprised you made it this long."_

"_I've been in worse situations than this, but the fact that I've been in solitary for the last 23 days, is starting to get old. " _He smirked trying to make light of the situation.

He was not doing well. She could tell by the lines on his face. His deep blue eyes had grown weary and his hair had almost instantaneously turned gray. He had aged years in a matter of weeks. She has seen him after many missions, but this had taken a toll on him that she had never witnessed before.

"_Well, you look like shit_" she smiled

"_Thank you. Why aren't you going to pick me up?_" he asked suspiciously.

"_I can't Steve. I am sorry, I know that this is the worst time to dump this on you, but I think we are done. I'm done. I have risked a lot for you, very willingly, but this is just too much for me to handle. Not now. Just promise me you won't skip town with my money. I am eventually going to need it."_

She placed her hand on the glass. The tears were pouring down her face. His expression was cold. He tried to reach out to her, but the shackles prevented him from raising his arms. She smiled through the tears and left. He sat there for a few seconds, completely shocked about what had happened. He never wanted her to see him this way, but now he can get out, and with the help of his team, he could finally clear his name and catch the real culprit. He will have to worry about fixing things with her; later.


	4. Chapter 4

The bright Hawaiian sun felt like a knife piercing his eyes. It was hot. But he was free for now. Leaning against the silver Camaro was Danny, patiently waiting for his partner, his friend, his now brother, to exit the prison.

"_Thanks brother_" softly said Steve

"_No prob"_ replied Danny "_Get in; let's go get you cleaned up_"

"_All I want right now is a hot shower, good food, and some sleep, on a real bed"_

"_I'll drop you off and then meet up tomorrow with Chin and Kono. I have to warn you…your house is completely trashed. Between HPD, the FBI, and NCIS, there isn't much left."_

"_There isn't much left to my life, so it just doesn't matter right now_" Steve was broken and he knew it, they both knew it.

"_We're gonna figure this out and slowly things will go back to normal_" Danny tried to reassure him. _"I gotta ask… where did the bail money come from?"_

"_Cat._" Replied Steve

"_Cat has $2 million?"_ Danny was suspicious

"_She has a trust fund. Her Dad is some big shot New York developer and politician. She tries to keep it quiet. She original joined the Navy because she had to. It looks good for a politician to have a kid in the military, but he didn't count on her staying there. I am sure that he's thrilled about this too. But I guess he and she don't have to worry about it anymore." _Steve sounded disappointed in himself. He let down so many people.

"_What are you talking about_?" Danny seemed confused.

"_She gave me $2 million for the bail and dumped me" _

"_Wow, that doesn't sound right. Steven, she was really upset the other day. I mean really upset. Worried. I think she just needs some time to sort this out. Once we clear this mess up, things will fall back into place. I know that she cares about you. It's obvious. No one gives that kind of money, unless she trusts that you won't skip out." _Danny had a feeling that there was more going on here. Rachel was acting strange after Catherine had left the other night. She continuously reminded Danny to watch out for her. Was Rachel just concerned or did she know something? Danny wondered, but knew better than to pursue it any further.

They arrived at the McGarret house and Danny was right. Not only was the house torn apart, but they even ripped apart the garden. Danny dropped Steve off and drove away. He felt that he needed to be alone, at least for the first night that he was out. As Steve walked through the house, he picked up pictures that were tossed. Pictures of his parents, his sister, pictures of a life that seemed so distant from the one he had now. The walls were ripped apart. The panels removed, floor boards broken, even the stairs were taken apart. He made his way up the stairs and just fell into bed.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you for the reviews! I am a little stuck as to how I am going to solve this case, so we'll see where this goes after this chapter. I have an ending; it's the middle that I am a little stumped on. **_

The sand, the sun, the salt air, that is what he missed the most. The gentle coolness of the ocean as he completed each stroke refreshed him. He swam for hours. His muscles burned, but he needed to clear his mind and get back into shape. He slept soundly for the first time in weeks. He woke refreshed, ready to tackle the obstacles that lay before him.

Slowly he walked out of the ocean, rubbing the salt from his face.

"_Here boss_." Kono stood there and handed him a towel, "_how ya feeling?_

"_Great now_" he reached and gave her a bear hug.

She smiled

"_Hey what about me?"_ it was Chin

"_You want a hug too? Ok, here it goes_" they hugged and laughed simultaneously.

"_Where's Danny?"_ Steve asked as he wiped himself dry and put on the shirt that lay on the chair.

"_He'll be here_" replied Chin "_Listen boss, I am sorry that I had to be the one to arrest you, it was either me or someone else and I just thought, you would rather…" _Steve interrupted

"_Listen I got caught, and I agree it was better you then someone else. We don't know who helped Wo Fat set me up. It could have been someone in HPD. You might have saved my life by doing that. A corrupt cop could have had me killed, saying that I resisted. I actually appreciate that it was you and believe me when I say that there are no hard feelings. OK? Let's get started. We have got to try to figure this out. What do we have left to work with?"_

Kono chimed in "_Well, I contacted Mary and she still had the photos on her phone, I had her email them to Fong, in case our emails are bugged. _

"_Well done Kono_" Steve and Chin were impressed

The door opened. "_We brought you some Malsadas"_ shouted Danny and Rachel as they entered the room _"we thought you may want some real food_."

"_You call that real food? Hi Rachel_" Steve went to her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"_I actually had a great dinner last night. Catherine had apparently stocked my fridge with some home cooked meals."_ She is a great cook, he thought to himself.

"_That's weird. My exes never cooked for me_" Danny commented looking at Rachel

Rachel replied _"and never will. Wait a minute, did you say exes? What are you talking about? When did that happen?" _Rachel was confused.

She knew that Catherine had her little secret, but breaking it off with Steve, made no sense.

Danny pulled her aside and whispered to her "_She broke up with him at the jail, but first she put up his bond and then cooked for him. Don't you find that strange?"_

She did find it strange, but immediately changed the subject.

"_So where do we start, I am here to help." _

"_Help, now you want to help? I don't think so." _He moved his hands gesturing as if he was playing tennis_" Why don't you go to the club or get a manicure or something. The less involved you are the better." _Danny made it clear that she should not be there_ "Fine Daniel, but just so you know I am completely capable of doing detective work. Good bye all"._ She grabbed he purse from the chair and left.

The photos of the evidence were hanging on what was left of a wall. They stared at the photos for hours. They were hoping for a miracle. Whoever had framed him had access to his fingerprints. They were found all over the crime scene. It had to be Wo Fat. And Laura's death? Why Laura? What did Laura know that had gotten her killed? Somehow the Governor was involved, but how and was she a good guy or a bad guy? Too many questions and not enough answers. They needed a miracle, some kind of evidence that proves who did this. The murders occurred in broad daylight, yet there were no witnesses.

At that moment Steve's phone rang. He looked at the Id and walked outside as he answered.

"_Cat, are you ok? I didn't expect to hear from you. I knew you couldn't stay away too long." _He was overconfident

"_Well slow down there sailor, the only reason I am calling is because I have some information that I know you are going to want to see." _She said

"_Information? What kind of information?_ "Now he was curious

"_I am not about to tell you over the phone. Remember that special place you took me to the first time I came here, to Hawaii? Meet me there in 20 minutes_" she hung up before he could respond.

Immediately he grabbed the car keys and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve pulled up to the ridge that overlooked the Harbor. He parked his truck next to Catherine's car and proceeded to take the short walk to the spot that he had taken Catherine before. It was a secluded area that few people knew about, but the view was breathtaking. Catherine sat on a boulder, quietly looking out over the ridge. The expression on her face seemed like she was a million miles away. He stood there and watched quietly for a while. She was so beautiful in his eyes. The gentle breeze made her long black hair flow softly. Suddenly she turned.

"_How long have you been standing there staring_?" she asked

"_Not long, I just got here_" he answered

He slowly approached and sat down beside her. He gently leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her face, landing his kiss on her cheek.

"_That was cold_" he remarked "_what do you have for me_?"

She handed him an envelope and said "_everything you need to prove that you did not commit those murders is in that envelope. I already forwarded a copy to the DA's office just in case"_

He opened the envelope and looked at the contents. He could not believe what he had seen. Satellite photos of the crime in progress, clearly showing the shooter.

"_You did this for me? Why? You do realize that you will probably get court-martialed for doing this?_ He asked with concern

"_That doesn't matter anymore. I can't have you go to prison, especially if you are innocent". _

"_OK…" _he stood up took a few steps and turned to face her_ "I don't know what is going on with you, but I am really confused. Why are you going out of your way to help me so much, risking your entire career and at the same time telling me that you don't want to see me anymore?"_ He was no longer being patient, he was now frustrated.

"_I am helping you because I can't have you go to jail. I am through with you_ b_ecause you are dangerous. You are dangerous to yourself and to everyone around you. Don't you see that? How many people have been hurt because of this vendetta that you have? Who else has to die?_" she answered

"_That's not fair!_ _You knew what, who, I was from the very first time we met, why after all these years are you suddenly afraid of me?" _he was upset. He had heard that same comment from Danny.

"_It was different when it was just you and me, but_ …." She paused

"_But what?"_ he said angrily

"_But now there is someone else"_

"_You're in love with someone else?"_ his expression grew more angry and sad all at once

"_No! I'm pregnant Stupid!"_ She shouted, then covered her mouth as if to push the words back inside.

He paced back and forth, as he rubbed his face with his hands. He said nothing.

"_How? When?_ He stuttered

"_How? I think you know the answer to that, as to when? It was the last time I was here. The day of the Tsunami, well the Tsunami hoax"_

He thought for a short while, not saying a word_. "This is a good thing, actually it's great! So what's the problem?"_ his response was unexpected

"_I'm letting you off the hook_."

"_I don't want to be let off the hook._ "He was adamant

"_Steve, we've never spent more than three days together at a time. I don't expect anything from you, I never have."_ She stood her ground.

"_Is that how you see our_ ….." He hesitated

She interrupted him "_Our what? You don't even know what to call it. Our relationship, friendship, hook ups? Listen, I am not stupid. You don't think I know what is going on when I am not around. You are surrounded by bikini clad beauties all day. I never expected anything else out of you"_

"_I can't believe that these words are coming out of your mouth. I'm working when you aren't here. I go home to an empty house every night. I sleep alone every night, usually thinking about you. I haven't been with anyone else since we met. Not once. I thought you felt the same. Should I be concerned that you haven't been as loyal?"_

"_I haven't been with anyone else. You're the only one, but it's different for me. I'm stuck on a ship in the middle of God knows where half the time" _she tried to defend herself

"_Surrounded by, in close quarters with, hundreds of love starved horney sailors." _He retorted

"_Point taken_." She nodded

He sat down next to her. They both gazed across the water and stared at the green landscape that spanned directly across.

Catherine turned and broke the silence "_Listen Steve_, _I know what it's like having a father who doesn't care about anything but his work and I don't want my child to have that kind of life. You are too focused on your job. Your work means everything to you. I don't want you to give it up and I don't want you waking up years from now, thinking that you were trapped in a family that you didn't want"_

He looked down, staring at the ground as he spoke "_What makes you think that I don't want a… this family? I had a great childhood; my father was a wonderful man. I would love to be able to do the things that my father did with me, with my own child. Fishing, hiking, surfing, everything these islands have to offer. Until my mom died, I had the best life. We may not have had the money that you had growing up, but we were close and we always managed to have fun, until that one day when it all changed."_ You could see the sadness in his eyes

"_Trust me when I tell you, that I would trade all that money to be able to say what you just did. My parents only cared about appearances. What I was wearing and who was escorting me to whatever party. They cared more about their charities and projects than they did about us. I don't even know where my brother is. He turned 18, cashed in his trust fund, and left. We never heard from him again. Listen, I want you to be a part of this child's life, I will __**never**__ deny you that, but I don't want you to feel that I trapped you into this. I didn't plan for this and neither did you."_

He paused and grabbed her hand "_Cat, do you remember the first time we met? After that football game, a bunch of us went to O'Malley's for drinks. Remember? You wore a pink tank top and the shortest shorts I had ever seen. But the best part was that while the other girls were in heals, trying way too hard, you had on sneakers and socks with little hearts on them. You looked so sexy in a cute sort of way. You and I sat at that tiny table for two, way in the back, for hours, just talking and laughing, while everyone else was partying. We closed the place down that night. It must have been 3 o'clock in the morning when I walked you back to the barracks. Do you remember what I said to you?"_ he stared in her eyes waiting to see if the memory was as important to her as it was to him.

She paused "_I do remember… you said that you were going to marry me one day. I always thought that was a line you used on all the girls._" she began to cry.

"_I had never felt that way about anyone before or since. I know you feel the same about me. If you don't and I am wrong, then fine, I'll let you go, but I am never wrong"_ he pleaded.

"_Mr. Confident huh? You're right. I do love you; I guess I am just scared. Everything is about to change, and this mess you got yourself into, wasn't part of the plan. My intention wasn't to hurt you. I originally came here with different intentions. It's just when I got here and saw you in prison, all shackled like an animal, I panicked. I'm sorry. I didn't want to abandon you when you needed me the most. That was very selfish of me. I am so sorry, I do love you."_ She was crying hysterically and her entire body was shaking.

He reached over to her and held her in his arms. He spoke softly in her ear. "_Once all this is over, I want to get married and start this family off right. You and that baby are my only family. Besides Mary, there is no one else. I need to do this right, but I need you to be 100% sure that it's what you want" _He held her tighter.

Suddenly and without notice, a gun shot rang out. They both instinctively took cover behind the rock. The one shot was followed by a hail storm of bullets. They were trapped. Steve looked at Catherine and said _"the only way out of here is to jump. Do you think you can do it?"_ he asked

"_We have no choice_" she responded "_and do you see what I mean about you being dangerous?"_

He smiled at the remark, grabbed her hand and they both jumped of the cliff into the water below.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve exploded out of the water and immediately shouted "_Cath! Cath_! "As he turned in every direction looking for her to emerge from beneath the water.

"_Over here!"_ she shouted

He swam to her and asked _"Are you ok? That was higher than I thought"_

"_I'm fine, I think. So what do we do now genius?"_ she asked as they both treaded water

"_Do you think you can make it to that shoreline over there?"_ he asked

"_Faster than you can"_ and she took off swimming

"_Competitive much?"_ He took off after her

They swam to the rock covered shoreline and sat to catch their breath.

"_Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on, now? Why were we being shot at? Steve! Answer me!"_ Catherine shouted.

He didn't know where to begin. _"I am convinced that it was Wo Fat who is trying to kill me. He is the one responsible for giving the orders to kill my parents. We had a witness that was willing to testify against him and he along with two police officers was killed. They tried to blame me for that. I think that somehow Laura Hills was going to blow the whistle on him too. I don't know how she is involved, but he had her killed, framing me for that too. And I know that he has something to do with the money, I am just not sure what. Now that you found the satellite photos of him setting the bomb on her car, and ambushing the police transport, everyone will know that I didn't do it. All we need now is to find him._" He explained in a stoic manner.

"_Wo Fat? The international arms dealer? The terrorist?"_ she asked in shock

"_You know who he is?"_ Steve replied with surprise

"_Naval Intelligence, and every other agency in the world, is looking for him. You are going up against one of the most dangerous men in the world, by yourself! No wonder you got into this mess. Steve, you have to get out of Hawaii. You have got to just disappear. He is going to kill you! Do you understand that?" _She was pissed off.

"_No! I'm going capture him and put him away forever, he is going to pay for what he has done to me, if it's the last thing that I do!_ He shouted back at her.

"_Well, it just might be. And I don't want to get caught in the middle of it"_ She got up and walked toward the water.

He waited a few minutes to give her a chance to calm down. He took a deep breath and changed the subject. "_We'll finish this later; right now we need to find shelter for the night" _

It was getting dark and the temperature was dropping. The breeze was picking up and the scent in the air was changing. A storm was rolling in. They needed to find shelter quickly. Off in the distance and surrounded by trees, he spotted a light. A light meant that there may be a cabin. These mountains were widely used for hunting years before they made it a Preserve. Maybe someone still lived there and had a phone they could use to call for help.

"_Cat, I see a light up that hill, do you think you can climb?"_ he asked concerned about her condition

"_Of course I can, it's not like I am some delicate flower. Let's go, it's getting dark_" she was clearly angry at him.

Steve agreed, he knew that a potential storm wasn't the only thing they needed shelter from. These hills were infested with wild boar and who knows what else.

Slowly they climbed and hiked until they made it to the cabin. The porch light was on, but the cabin was clearly abandoned.

"_The cabin looks empty. The porch light is on a sensor, I wonder how long this light has been going on to greet no one"_ he thought to himself.

Steve took his position to break down the door, but Catherine stopped him. She looked around and carefully moved a flower pot that sat on the window sill. She smiled and presented him with a key. He smiled at her and unlocked the door.

"_Is anybody here!"_ he shouted as they entered "_No, it's empty, just as I thought_" he said

Catherine and Steve rummaged through the cabin looking for anything useful they could find. There were towels, logs for the fireplace, some flashlights, and several cans of Spam. Steve started a fire as Catherine removed her wet clothes. She cautiously hung her clothes by the fire to dry. Steve watched from the corner of his eye as she removed her clothes, he raised his eyebrows and smiled, but proceeded to tend to the fire. _She wrapped herself in a towel and suggested that he do the same._He followed her lead and removed his clothes too, wrapping a towel around his waist.

_"Go sit down and rest, I'll heat up some of this Spam. I can't believe we are going to eat this stuff but we need the protein and as Kamakona says, its' the steak of the islands."_ He attempted to imitate his friend, hoping to break the ice between them.

Catherine did not respond to his remark. He wondered if she was still angry with him. He slowly walked over to where she was sitting and noticed that she was fast asleep. He grabbed a blanket that was lying on a chair and gently covered her. By now the storm was moving in and the winds were picking up. Lighting covered the night sky. The combination of the crackling fire, the rain dripping from the ceiling, and the sounds of nature were almost soothing. Steve took his position beside her, laying her head on his lap, as he gently stroked her hair_. __"I will never let anything happen to you, to either of you."_ He whispered. He sat there watching her sleep, so peaceful_. _


	8. Chapter 8

_**Meanwhile…..**_

Danny, Chin and Kono sat on the patio of the McGarrett house. There was several pizza boxes scattered on the table. They were laughing and eating. They were enjoying a calm evening, one that neither of them had seen in a long time. It felt good to be back as a team working together for a common goal.

"_Where did you get this pizza from? It's pretty good._" Asked Chin

"_It's from Joey's. We busted him a while back. He sang like a canary, so we let him go"_ answered Danny

_"Joey? Isn't that the guy who Steve threw in the shark tank?__" Kono slowly put the slice down "__Do you think the Pizza's safe to eat? __"_she questioned

_"Its fine, I order from him all the time. Besides it's free..."_ Danny smirked

_"Speaking of Steve and sharks… did anyone notice that he hasn't come back yet and it's been hours"_ Kono remarked_ "__Where did he go anyway?"_

_"I don't know, he didn't say, he just left. Should we be worried?"_ before Chin could finish the thought, Danny was making phone calls

Danny called Steve's cell several times and there was no response. He began to worry_. __"Listen guys he's not answering his phone and now I'm worried. Chin, can you see if you can track his GPS from either his phone or his car.? The truck has OnStar."_

Chin immediately got to work making the necessary calls to track him down.

_"__Guys, the phone must be off, but we have a hit on his car. Here are the coordinates of his truck"_

_"Let's go, what are we waiting for?"_ Kono was anxious to get going_._

_"Wait a minute, there is nothing in that area. Why is Steve in the middle of nowhere? We are going to need flashlights and back up. After everything that has recently happened we have to be very cautious"_ Chin was the voice of reason.

_"We can't call for back up. He's out on bail and if HPD even thinks that he's running, they will go after him full on. __" _Danny took charge_ "__No one can know that he's missing. Hell, we don't even know if he is missing."_

_"Caution, guys. We have to be very careful how we handle this" _Chin retorted

Slowly and cautiously the silver Camaro and the Black Suv approached the two cars that were parked at the edge of the dirt road. They did not know what to expect. With guns drawn, Danny slowly approached the truck, while Chin and Kono approached the Corvette. Both cars were empty, but riddled with bullets. Lying on the passenger seat was Steve's gun, and cell phone. He would have never left his gun in the car unless he felt there was no threat.

_"Shit!"_ Shouted Danny_. "He was blindsided."_

_"Who do you think the Vette belong to?"_ Asked Kono

_"__Judging by the parking permit for Pearl Harbor and the Mets baseball cap on the passenger seat, it looks like it's probably Catherine's car. Pull the license plate to make sure. This is not good. Let's check the surrounding area and see if we see anything suspicious."_ Danny was hoping that they would not find their bodies_._

The area was covered in low lying grass and dense foliage. Bullet casings were scattered throughout. It looked as if a war had broken out. Judging by the casings, it appeared that there were three shooters. Whoever was shooting at them meant business. The good news was that there is no blood, at least non that was visible. The bad news is that they were nowhere to be found. There were foot prints near a boulder that overlooked the edge. One set was clearly a male boot, probably Steve's and the other was a smaller boot, most likely belonging to Catherine. The prints led to the edge of the cliff. Danny leaned over the edge, shined his flashlight, and looked down at the body of water that lay beneath. It was dark now, but the distance to the bottom looked endless. They wouldn't have jumped, would they? He thought. Or worse, were they pushed?

_"Over here boss!__" _shouted Kono_ "__look an empty envelope. Do you think this means anything?_

_"I don't know. Bag it" _instructed Danny

Danny, Chin and Kono huddled together to brainstorm. They were no longer officially a task force, but they were still a team and they knew that Steve was in trouble. (Since Steve's arrest for Laura's murder, the Governor was forced to dismantle the Task force.) The winds had picked up now and it was clear that a storm was approaching. It began to rain. They decided to call it a night and meet up at daybreak to begin their search.

_"__It's dark, raining, and there is nothing else we can do here tonight."_ Kono was disappointed, but the combination of the rain and the darkness was making it impossible to process the scene.

_"__Where are you buddy? What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?"_ Danny said silently to himself as he looked over the darkness that filled the surrounding area_._


	9. Chapter 9

Rachel rolled over to discover that Danny was not lying next to her. "_Daniel?_" she softly called out.

"_Hey, I was hoping not to wake you_. _ I'm sorry Rachel but I gotta go_" he answered

"_It's 5 o'clock in the morning. When did you get in last night? Where are you going so early?"_ she noted

"_I am really worried. Steve never showed up last night and we found his car riddled with bullets in the middle of nowhere. There was no sign of them anywhere"_ he was clearly concerned.

"_Them? Who are them?"_ Rachel jumped out of bed and approached Danny

"_Him and Catherine. Her car was at the scene and we found footprints that we think belonged to her"_

"_Daniel, you have to find them right away. It is dangerous for her to be out there in the wilderness. Do you understand?" _Rachel was getting emotional.

"_That's my goal. Besides she's Ramboette, I am sure they are fine." _Said Danny

"_No Daniel, you don't understand."_ Rachel raised her voice just a bit

"_Why? What do you mean?"_ he was curious

"_Daniel, she is going to kill me for telling you this, but she is pregnant_" she waited for a reaction from Danny

"_What? Are you kidding me? How do you know? Wait, she told you the other night, didn't she? That's why you were both acting weird. Does Steve know? He didn't say a word."_ He paused and allowed himself to process the information "_Steve a dad. Now that I have got to see"_

"_As of the other night, no, he didn't know. And what is wrong with Steven being a father, Daniel? He is very good with Gracie."_ Retorted Rachel

"_Your right he is, but wouldn't it be fun to watch him change a diaper, just once?_" he motioned his hands as if he were changing a diaper." _Can't you just picture him with the whole Hazmat gear thing going on? Come on, even you have to admit that's funny"_

Rachel rolled her eyes

Danny's phone began to ring.

"_Danny; Chin and I are here, I was thinking about this all night. Judging by the positions of the prints we found last night, it appears that they jumped, to escape, they must have made it across, so we decided to start looking on the other side of the ridge. We found some disrupted foliage. There aren't any footprints, because of the rain, but Chin thinks he knows what direction they went in. I'll send you the coordinates and you can meet us."_ Kono said

"_Listen Rachel, I gotta go_" Danny grabbed his gun and left.

He parked his car as close to the coordinates as possible and made his way through the dense foliage. Chin and Kono were waiting patiently for him.

"_Chin thinks they went that way"_ pointed Kono

"_When Steve and I were protecting that witness in the jungle, he taught me a few tricks for tracking. I never thought that they would come in handy, but here we go" _said Chin

"_This is pretty rough terrain_." Complained Danny

"_Look! Does that look like a cabin nestled on the side of that hill? Up there, it's pretty far. Do you think they were able to climb up there with no equipment?" _Kono was doubtful.

"_I don't know, but it's worth checking out. After all it is Super SEAL and his sidekick."_ Remarked Danny.

"_Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm taking the road."_ Chin held up his phone showing a satellite picture of the area they were in. There was a road a few hundred feet from the cabin.

"_I like his idea_", remarked Danny.

They proceeded to their cars.

"_Listen guys, when we get there we have to proceed with extreme caution. We don't know what kind of situation we are facing. First of all we don't even know if they are there. Second, we don't know if they are in trouble. They may be held against their will or they may be hiding out, which will put Steve in full Ninja mode. Believe me; you don't want to surprise him, when he's in Ninja mode." _Danny expressed each thought with an accompanied hand motion.

"_Right boss, let's go_" Kono rolled her eyes as she jumped into the passenger side of Chin's car.


	10. Chapter 10

The vibrant colors of the sunrise shined through the broken shades that covered the windows. The cabin illuminated a glow of orange. It was an old cabin, one that had seen many years of ware. The walls displayed trophies of bountiful hunts. The furniture reflected many nights of tales told by hunters. The mantle on the fireplace was bare except for a single photo. It was of a group of men and a boy smiling by the fireplace. Steve looked at the photo with wonder.

"_Oh Gross! What is that smell?_" Catherine remarked in disgust.

"_Good morning lieutenant. Breakfast_." Showing her the frying pan containing Spam

"_Get that away from me, or I swear I am going to throw up on you!"_ she covered her mouth and ran into the bathroom.

"_It's not that bad"_ he shrugged his shoulders.

"_Hey, are you ok? Here drink this_." He handed her a glass jar of water.

"_Where did this come from? Not from those rusty pipes, I hope"_ she asked

"_The rain. Drink it, it's good. You need to stay hydrated_." He waited for her to take a sip.

"_Feel better?_" he placed his hand on her naked shoulder.

His chest was bare, wearing just his pants. She forgot all about feeling ill. The image of his perfect physique, the strong arms, the perfectly defined abs, were making her imagination run wild. She always found it hard to resist him, and he knew it. Her body began to react to his simple touch. Her mind began to long for his body to touch hers.

"_Um, Yeh, thanks_." She just smiled and looked uncomfortably away from his gaze. "_Where did you put my clothes? I should get dressed."_ She nervously played with her hair.

"_They were dry, so I put them over there_." He pointed to a table in the corner of the room.

The clothes were folded in perfect squares. Her clothes were in one pile and his shirt was in another. She was reminded of how he liked everything to be neat. This habit was a result of his time spent at Annapolis and in the Navy.

She walked to where the clothes were and picked them up to get dressed. Suddenly he grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. He positioned his face within inches of hers and spoke lovingly as he gazed into her eyes, _"Listen, Cat."_ Before he could express his thoughts, she placed her finger over his lips. "_Shh, don't say anything."_ She leaned in and kissed him. Without waiting for a reaction she gently wrapped her arms around his neck, holding the back of his head with her hands. One kiss turned to two. His arms gently embraced her body, drawing her closer. They could feel the electricity igniting between them. Before they knew it, they were engulfed in full passion. He slowly removed the towel she wore and gently guided her body to the ground. He caressed her body with his. He kissed her lips, then her neck. Their bodies intertwined as they made passionate love to one another.

"_Wow! That was amazing_" he said out of breath

"_Hormones_" she smiled "_The benefit of being pregnant, I guess_"

He laughed. _"I guess this means that you're not mad at me anymore."_

With a serious tone she said_, "I can never stay mad at you. You know that. I love you. " _

"_I love you too."_ He kissed her and smiled.

Sexual intimacy was something that they never had a problem with. They were good together and they both knew it.

"A_s much as I would like nothing more than to lay here in your arms all day, there is someone trying to kill us, so we better get moving. It isn't safe to be in one place too long. We really need to get to a phone."_

They each reluctantly got up and proceeded to get dressed. They smiled and would occasionally catch each other looking.

Suddenly, Catherine grabbed the wall with one hand and touched her forehead with the other.

"_Are you all right?_ He ran, trying to catch her before she fell.

"_I'm feeling a little dizzy, I think I am going to go outside and get some fresh air" _

"_I have that effect on women sometimes."_ He raised his eyebrows.

She squinted her eyes and shot him a nasty look.

"_Just kidding, Ok, I'll put out this fire and we'll get going. " _He proceeded to the fireplace and began to put out the fire.

Not two seconds had passed when he heard a scream. He immediately ran outside, only to find Catherine kneeling on the ground. Standing behind her was Wo Fat holding a gun to her head. Before he could register what he saw, two thugs had grabbed him and pointed a gun to his head. He was taken completely by surprise.

"_Good morning Steven. Did you really think we would not find you?"_ Wo Fat commented in a monotone voice

"_Let her go! You got me, you don't need her!"_ he shouted

"_Your right, I don't need her, but imagine how much fun it would be to watch your reaction when I put a bullet in that pretty little head of hers." _He said in a sinister voice

Steve paused to assess the situation. He examined the surroundings to determine if an escape was even possible. They were outnumbered and he couldn't risk Catherine getting hurt. His choices were almost nonexistent.

"_Why are you doing this? You've had many chances to kill me and you didn't. Why now? Just do it and get it over with. Let her go and do whatever you want with me." _He pleaded. You can hear the desperation in his voice

"_This is a game Steven, don't you understand that? I thought you were a smart man. You are so much like your father. But I am afraid all games must come to an end"_

"_If you are going to kill me anyway…tell me, why did you kill my parents? What did my father find out that made him so dangerous to you? And Laura, why Laura?" _Steve was getting emotional but was desperately trying to keep it under control. He needed to buy some time.

"_Miss Hills was too curious; she was betraying those she should have been loyal to. Your father was one of my prize employees._ _Your mother was simply collateral damage. Yes, Steven, your father was a dirty cop. How does that make you feel? He wanted out, but didn't understand, that there is no out. He needed to be taught a lesson. Now you will be taught a lesson as well." _His voice sounded almost mechanical.

Wo Fat placed the nozzle of the gun on Catherine's cheek and gently rubbed it up and down her face. Her heart began to race. Her body began to tremble. She closed her eyes trying to find some sort of peace within herself. Tears rolled down her face. She was not only mourning the loss of her life, the loss of the life she would have with the only man she truly loved, but the life that was growing inside her, as well. She knew that she was going to die.

Steve struggled desperately trying to break free from the hold. _"Don't, don't! Let her go, she means nothing to you!"_ he shouted. His eyes were red and his body tense.

"_Ah, but she means everything to you, doesn't she Steven?" _Wo Fat's voice never faltered

He cocked the gun and placed it at her temple.

Three shots rang out.

Catherine closed her eyes tighter as the sounds around her muted. She heard nothing, she felt nothing. It was as if she had entered a dream state. Time simply stood still. Am I dead? Is this what death feels like? Suddenly she had a familiar feeling, the strong muscular feeling of a familiar arm grabbing her and embracing her body.

"_Cath, are you ok?"_ It was Steve. He was panicked and relieved all at once.

She was in a daze as the fog from her mind lifted. She opened her eyes slowly. _"I'm not dead?"_

"_No you're not_" he was amused by her comment

Stunned, she looked around to find three dead bodies. One of which was Wo Fat.

Danny, Chin, and Kono were standing there holding their guns to their sides.

'_It's ok, he's dead, and they're all dead. We have nothing to worry about anymore. Wo Fat can't hurt us, he can't hurt anybody anymore_" he tried to comfort her.

He embraced her tighter "_Thank you guys_" Steve looked up at his team as he held Catherine tightly in his arms.

"_Yeh, well I am getting tired of saving your ass_" Danny replied sarcastically with a smile.

Steve gently helped Cath to her feet, still holding her in his arms.

"_Oh, by the way, is there something that you guys need to tell us?"_ asked Danny

Steve and Catherine looked at each other and smiled as they walked to the car.

"_No_". They answered in unison.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thank you so much for the reviews and for following this story. I greatly appreciate it and I hope that you all enjoyed it. Your feedback and opinions are welcome. Be nice though. :-)**_

Steve had woken up, startled. He sat at the edge of the bed with the phrase "_Miss Hills was too curious; she was betraying those she should have been loyal to."_ Replaying over and over in his mind. What did that mean? Miss Hills worked directly with the Governor. His mind was racing. Wo Fat always seemed to be one step ahead of them. The only person besides his team that knew what their moves where, was the Governor.

"_Steve, what's wrong?"_ Catherine gently crawled up behind him and embraced him, leaning her head on his shoulders.

"_I just have this feeling that I can't shake. I really think that the Governor has something_ _to do with all this_" he whispered

"_All the charges against you have been dropped, Wo Fat is dead. Just leave it alone_" she pleaded.

It had been 2 weeks since the incident at the cabin. Catherine had been placed on bed rest as a precaution. She had been having nightmares and was experiencing boughts of paranoia. They were told that this was common for someone who had gone through such a traumatic experience. She was trying desperately to put those events behind her.

"_You'll be ok here by yourself, I gotta go do something. Stay here and I promise that I'll call to check up on you. I won't be long. _" He got up from the bed and immediately got dressed.

She watched as he left the room. He had a look of determination on his face that she had seen many times before. She was scared, but she also knew that she could not prevent him from doing whatever it was that he was planning on.

"_Danny, meet me at HQ, ASAP. I have an idea._" He called Danny as he was already on his way.

"_Oh No! Lately your ideas are nothing but trouble. What the hell is going on now?_" Danny knew that if Steve had an "Idea" it couldn't be good.

Both vehicles pulled up to HQ at the same time. "_Wait here, I gotta get something, and I'll be right back."_

Danny had seen this face before, it was definitely aneurism face, except this time, Danny was the one who was going to have the aneurism. Steve had somehow thought of a harebrained scheme that was destined to get them all in trouble.

Steve came running back to the cars with the brass key in his hand.

"_What the hell is going on? Shouldn't you be home taking care of your girl?"_ Danny questioned.

"_The Governor, the Governor is responsible. She worked with Wo Fat and Laura found out. Laura was on to them, that's why she was killed. I don't know how, but this key is the answer to it all. Let's go pay the Governor a visit."_

Steve and Danny raced down the street, as if they were the only car on the road.

"_This is crazy_" Danny remarked

"_It's her, I know it_" replied Steve

"_Do you realize the impact of what you are saying? This is the Governor. Why not just be satisfied with getting Wo Fat. Just go home and take care of the mother of your child. She, both of you, has been through hell. Just go home and forget about this harebrained idea"_ Danny was desperately trying to talk some sense into him

"_How do you know about the baby?"_ Steve asked

"_Rachel, she told Rachel_." Danny responded "_By the way, Congrats Bro. Were you ever planning on telling me?"_

"_I haven't really grasped the whole idea yet, myself. I can't think of that until I fix everything else."_

"_That my friend is where you are wrong. That is the first thing that you should be thinking about. Every action you take from now on is going to affect the life of that child for his entire life. Do you understand? Do you? You can't go off all Rambo without those consequences affecting others. Your fathers actions formed who you are and your actions will form who your child becomes. A while back you said to me that you were not your father and you will do whatever it takes to get whoever was responsible. You said that you didn't have a wife and kids to worry about. Well now you do, so think about what you are about to do. " _He raised his voice with his hands flailing in every direction.

"_That's exactly why I have to do this. We can't be safe unless everyone responsible is caught. Cat was the strongest woman that I had ever met. She was the only woman who ever held me accountable. You don't understand, Danny. She has saved my ass so many times that I can't even count. She was the remote contact for my SEAL team. She monitored every move, directed us in the tightest of situations. No matter how dangerous, how risky, she always kept her cool, she always stayed in control. That animal has turned her into a frightened little girl. She's afraid of her own shadow. I need to make sure that no one can hurt us again. That nobody can hurt her again. It's my fault that this has happened and I have to fix this. That is the only way she can heel, and go back to the way things were. I owe her that much."_ He was angry.

"_I get it_. _I don't like it, but I get it_. _So what's the plan genius?_" Danny couldn't wait to see how they were going to get into trouble.

"_No Plan, I'm just going to point blank confront her. Let's see how cool she is when Wo Fat isn't around to do her dirty work."_

"_Perfect, Just perfect_" Danny was not happy about this at all_._

They made their way into the governor's office and respectfully took their seats at her desk.

"_Good Morning gentlemen, how may I help you today? I trust everything is back to normal and we can get back to protecting the citizens of Hawaii?_" She spoke with calm dignity.

"_Yes, Ma'am_." Steve responded in a very calm deep voice.

His eyes carefully scanned the room, looking for a clue, any clue. And there it was. Staring him directly in the face. There stood the desk, with its brass fixtures, the brass fixtures that matched exactly to the key. The key he held in his pocket. He wasted no time; he stood up, removed the key and opened the desk. The desk contained the evidence that was stolen from the Champ box and more. The Governor just watched. There was nothing for her to say, nothing for her to do.

Finally she spoke "_It's over isn't it? I'm glad it's over_" she said with remorse "_I never wanted it to get this far, I never intended for anyone to get hurt. I was young and ambitious, I was in too deep, I couldn't get out and now I will pay for my actions. I am so sorry, Steve. I know that you will never understand, but I am truly sorry." _She held her hands out, fists clenched, ready for handcuffs.

"_Book her Danno"_ Steve looked at Danny and left the room. There was nothing for him to say to her. It was over and that is all that mattered. His job was done.


End file.
